Loose-leaf binder.



No. 833,165. PATENTBD OCT. 16,-1-906.

H. W. HEDGES.

LOOSE LEAF BINDER.A PPLIGATION rmsn 111.12.31. race. nmwnwnn IAB. 23. 1906.

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UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIoE.

LOOSE-LEAF BINDER.

Specification cf Letters Patent.

Patented O ct. 16, 1906.

Application filed March 31, 1905. Renewed March 23, 1906. Serial No. 307,724.

To all whom it may concern' Be it known that I, HARDIN W. HEDGEs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chase, in the county of Rice and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Loose-Leaf Binders, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to loose-leaf binders and my object is to produce a device of this character which operates efficiently and reliably, which accommodates few or many sheets, and which is of simple, strong, durable, and cheap construction.

With these objects in view the invention consists in certain novel and peculiar features of construction and organization, as hereinafter described and claimed, and in order that it may be fully understood reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a loose-leaf binder embodying my invention, with the back piece broken away to expose the internal construction more clearly. E ig. 2 is a view, partly in top plan and partly in horizontal section, on the dotted line II II of Fig. 1.

In the said drawings a rectangular frame of suitable width to accommodate the leaves to be secured and height to accommodate anydesired number of such leaves comprises a bottom bar 1, a top bar 2, and two or more vertical posts 3, connecting the top and bottom bars a suitable distance inward of their ends, the ends of said bars 1 and 2 being also connected by vertical bars 4, provided with longitudinal slots 5, through which extend set-screws 6, said set-screws being mounted in and carried by a cross-b ar 7, provided with vertical openings 8, slidingly engaging the posts, the inner ends of the set-screws communicating with openings 8 in order that said screws may be caused to impinge upon posts 3 to clamp bar 7 at the desired point of adjustment on said posts. By this arrangement loose leaves secured on said posts in the usual or any preferred manner may be clamped firmly and reliably between bar 1 and clamp-bar 7. l

9 designates the bottom board or cover, of any suitable material, hinged at 9a or otherwise flexibly attached to the front edge of bar 1, and 10 a similar top board or cover hinged, as at 11 or otherwise, to the front side of the clamp-bar, it being understood, of course, that these covers will preferably be slightly longer and wider than the leaves to be clamped between them and bars 1 and 7.

Connecting the rear sides of bars 1 and 2 is a back piece 12, of leather or equivalent material, this back piece protecting the upper ends of the leaves from injury and to a greater or less extent from dust, and, furthermore, provides a surface upon which suitable indicia may appearwsuch, for instance, as the name and style of the binder and information as to how it may be operated. This portion of the binder is that which is exposed when the binder is upon a shelf.

In order to conveniently effect the cla1nping adjustment of bar 7-that is, force the latter downward upon the leaves- I provide a lever 13, having at one end a in 14, pro'- jecting from both sides of the l)ever. The lever also is provided with the oppositelyprojecting pins 15 and 16, pin 15 projecting to the right and pin 16 to the left of the lever, the former being disposed nearer to pin 14 than the latter. When there are but few leaves in the binder, the lever is disposed at the front side of bar 2, wth pins 14 and 16 resting against the upper and lower sides, respectively, of bars 7 and 2 and swung upwardly to force bar 7 downward and clamp the papers reliably in place, it being understood, of course, that the set-screws 6 are first withdrawn from engagement with post 3 and then rengaged with the posts, so as to secure bar 7 in its new position, the slots 5, of course, permitting the screws to move with bar 7. When a large number of leaves have been hled in the binder, and consequently offer a greater resistance tothe downward movement of the clamp-bar, the operator increases the leverage on the clamp-bar by disposing the lever in the position shown in Fig. lwthat is, he disposes the opposite end of pin 14 upon the clamp-bar and the pin 15 against the under side of bar 2 and then manipulates the lever as before.

To inspect any particular leaf, the cover 10 is swung upward upon its hinges, as will be readily understood, it being also understood that the lever is detachable, so that a single one can be used for any number of binders, being removed from the same when not in use.

From the above description it will be apparent that I have producedl a loose-leaf binder possessing the features of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of invention and which obviously is susceptible IOC ITO

of modification in its form, proportion, and arrangement of the parts without departing from the principle of construction involved.

- Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A loose-lea'f-binding apparatus comprising a bottom bar, a top bar, posts conneoting the same, a clamping-bar adjustably mounted 0n the posts, and a lever provided with lateral pins arranged to engage under the top bar and bear upon the clamping-bar to move the clamping-bar along the posts.

2. A loose-leaf binder comprising a bottom bar, a top bar, posts connecting said bar at intermediate points of their length, guidebars connecting the top and bottom bars at the ends of the same, a olamping-barslidingly mounted on the posts, and screws mounted in the ends of the clamping-bar and playing in the guide-bars and arranged to bind against the posts to secure the clamping-bar at any desired height.

3. A l0ose-leaf binder comprising a bottom bar, a top bar, vertical posts connecting said bars, vertically-slotted guide-bars secured to the top and bottom bars at the ends of the same, a clamping-bar slidably mounted on the posts, and set-screws mounted in the ends of the clamping-bar to bear against the posts and projecting through and playing in slots inthe guide-bars.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HARDIN W. HEDGES. /Vitnesses:

J. M. REID, J. V. ADAMS. 

